


The Pavlovian Response

by suzvoy



Category: Smallville
Genre: Established Relationship, Futurefic, Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-10-17
Updated: 2004-10-17
Packaged: 2017-11-01 12:18:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/356681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suzvoy/pseuds/suzvoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark doesn't have a type. Really.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Pavlovian Response

## The Pavlovian Response

by Suz

<http://sjhw.net/suzvoy/svfic.html>

* * *

Thanks to nel! _smooooooch_

* * *

Clark was almost positive it wasn't his fault. 

He doubted it was the sex. While he didn't by any means consider himself a fantastic lover, he at least thought he was pretty good. He didn't really enjoy sex unless he knew his partner was too, so generally a good time was had by all. 

Clark didn't think it was the 'romance' aspect either. He tried to treat them like people with feelings, not just fuck buddies - unless that was something they'd both agreed to - and made sure to be kind and considerate at every opportunity. 

As for the emotional side...well, maybe that was the problem. Though he always had fun, he never really got emotionally involved. It wasn't from lack of trying, either. If anything it was just the opposite but it just...didn't happen. 

Whenever they broke up with him and he asked why, they never gave a specific reason. "I don't think this is working", "I think we're meant to be friends", or the completely unforgettable "Umm...I don't know." 

So at the moment Clark was sprawled out across his bed, fully dressed, starting to get seriously worried that he'd never be able to fall in love with anyone. It just didn't make any sense. He'd had feelings for Lana for years back in Smallville but ever since coming away to college, he hadn't had those kinds of feelings at all. For anyone. 

Dennis interrupted his moping by stumbling into their dorm room, closing the door behind him with an enthusiastic slam, and smiling brightly. 

If Clark's heightened senses hadn't immediately told him, he would have known from Dennis' demeanour alone that he'd just been with Kathy. Just had _sex_ with Kathy. Dennis and Kathy were maaaadly in love, and it was starting to bug the shit out of Clark. 

Dennis kept smiling to himself as he greeted Clark, before falling down with a pleased thump onto his own bed. 

Clark _really_ didn't like him. 

They didn't speak for a long time, and as Dennis was also obviously drunk Clark had half-suspected he'd already fallen asleep and was just about to check, when- 

"Ted broke up with you, huh?" 

Clark was not going to turn onto his side and stare at the wall. He wasn't. "Yeah." He couldn't, however, stop the sigh from escaping. Dennis had found him like this too many times. 

Cursing, Dennis climbed up and moved until he was sitting on the edge of Clark's bed, jostling him. "That bites, man." 

There would be no biting at all anywhere in Clark's near future. "Yeah, it does." 

Sighing heavily himself, Dennis lapsed into silence again and Clark took the opportunity to look at him. They weren't all that different, looks wise. Ted's build was pretty much the same as Clark's, though he had to work hard to keep it. Clark didn't have to do anything at all, which Ted had obviously noticed as he'd complained about the unfairness of it more than once. 

Sometimes Clark wondered what it'd be like to have to work at it, to feel the satisfaction of achieving that rather than just having it handed to you. 

"You want me to tell you?" Dennis suddenly asked. "Why it never works out?" 

Clark frowned. "You know?" 

Dennis nodded. "Well, I have a theory is all." Drawing himself back a little (for which Clark was grateful. The smell of alcohol was getting a bit much), Dennis kept talking. "What's the one thing the people you date all have in common? Since you came here, anyway." 

Clark's first thought was that they were all men. That'd been kinda a surprise at first, but he really wasn't complaining now. 

"And if you say they all have dicks I'll hit you." 

Lifting his eyebrows at Dennis, Clark smiled. "But they do." 

"All right, Clark boy, everyone knows you like dick. What else?" 

Pondering over it, Clark really couldn't think of anything. There wasn't any one type. All different builds, sizes, personalities. There was no one common denominator he could think of, except for...well, he'd never really noticed before, but they were all- 

"Bald, Clark." Dennis sniffed loudly, probably trying to suck his brains back in as they dribbled out of his nose. "They're all either going bald young, or shaving their heads...whatever it is, they all have a distinct lack of hair in the head department." He lifted up a hand and tapped his own full head of hair for emphasis. 

For some reason Clark felt the immediate urge to argue with him, but as he thought over it he knew Dennis was right. Apparently he had a thing for bald guys. Who knew? 

Not waiting for Clark to respond, Dennis lowered his hand. "And what do you keep on the table next to your bed?" 

Too relaxed to move, Clark couldn't even be bothered to turn his head to look, so recited from memory instead. "Umm...the lamp Chloe gave me. Alarm clock. Condoms. And..." Huh. 

"A picture of you with your arms wrapped around a very attractive, very bald guy." 

Clark's response was instantaneous. "That's just Lex." Although that wasn't really true. Lex wasn't _just_ Lex, Lex was _Lex_. Lex was never _just_ anything. "I have pictures of other people around here." His parents over there, Chloe, Pete and Lana somewhere to the right... 

"But he's the only one next to your bed." 

"He's my best friend," Clark insisted. "I always make it clear to them that Lex and I are just friends." 

Reaching out, Dennis patted his shoulder. Was he being... _patronised_? "Look, Clark. Maybe I'm wrong. But why don't you go see him? At least if I am wrong that's one theory out the way, and we can figure out what else it is you're doing that's screwing up your relationships." He grinned again. 

Clark still hated him. "Fine," he sighed, shifting on the bed around Dennis to get up, because if he didn't do this now Dennis would only bring it up again later. He'd go to the penthouse, prove Dennis wrong and be firmly back at square one. 

At least it'd kill some time. 

When he was up, pulling his jacket on and stuffing his feet into his sneakers, Dennis was stretching out on Clark's bed. "Just remember," he muttered, turning his head into the pillow, " _you_ may be the reporter, but _I'm_ the psychology major." 

Clark ignored him. Dennis was drunk anyway. He probably had no idea what he was talking about. 

Still, it didn't stop Clark from running to the penthouse. Regardless of Dennis' 'theory', Clark was looking forward to seeing his best friend. They hadn't spent much time together lately and though Clark had been told numerous times to drop by whenever he felt like it - had even been given his own keys to the penthouse - he still didn't feel comfortable dropping by unannounced. Lex had been so busy with LuthorCorp the last few months, and Clark didn't want to get in the way. 

Dropping out of top speed a few blocks away from the building, Clark walked the rest of the way. When he reached his destination he greeted the doorman, the two guys on security, then got in the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor. As the elevator moved, Clark thought of the other reason he didn't like dropping by without warning - the chance of catching Lex having sex with someone. He _really_ didn't want to interrupt Lex mid-fuck, but as Lex had been so busy with work lately Clark told himself the chances of that happening right now were pretty slim. 

Reaching the top floor, Clark stepped out of the elevator and headed straight for the door. He hesitated just for a second, and then he was entering the security code, unlocking the door, and stepping inside. 

The lights were on - a good sign Lex was home - so Clark pocketed his keys and moved through the apartment. He really, really hoped he'd been right about the 'Lex not having sex with anyone' thing. He didn't hear or smell anything though, which was more good news, and his spirits were lifting as he walked into the living room. "Lex?" 

His friend was on the couch, typing at his laptop and he grinned as he heard Clark's voice, turning his head- 

... 

Lex head. 

_Lex head_. 

His hands suddenly itching, Clark remembered it now. Every time he was with someone, every time he was having sex, focusing on their heads. Fondling, tasting, licking, only it was never quite good enough, it was never quite _enough_ and Clark was suddenly, achingly, hard. 

Lex was saying something, still smiling, but Clark could only stumble the few feet towards Lex before he fell to his knees, thudding on the carpet. The smile was gone now, Lex looking concerned, asking something, reaching out, but Clark batted his hand away and instead reached out his own hands. 

He could have asked permission, knew Lex would have given it - though with a smirk that said he'd better be getting an explanation later - but Clark couldn't verbalise anything right now, just kept moving his hands forward and... 

Touched. 

Warm, hard, soft, obviously well taken care of and now Lex wasn't saying a word, just staring at Clark, letting him _touch_ , and when Clark's hand found the bump at the back of Lex's head Lex shivered and that, that was it. 

Shuddering, Clark's hands fell to Lex's shoulders and he hung on, his entire body shaking and God, when this was over, Lex was never going to let him live this down. 

When it _was_ over his hands were still on Lex's shoulders, and his head was resting against Lex's neck. 

"Clark?" Lex's voice sounded broken. "Are you...did you...?" A hand came from somewhere to pet Clark's shoulder. "Did you just...?" He wasn't surprised Lex was having trouble finding the words. He wasn't sure how anyone could. "Did you just...from touching my head?" 

It wasn't every day Clark came from touching his best friend's head. It wasn't _any_ day before today. Humiliation mixed with dread, combined with panic ran through him. "God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." 

Lex's hand tightened on his shoulder, as if worried Clark was going to pull away. "It's okay, Clark. Really. Just surprising, and..." A breath. "...pleasing." 

Face still red from embarrassment, Clark lifted his head to see Lex's face. He was...smiling. Not smirking, or joking, but _smiling_. "You're...not freaking out?" 

"That would be a definite no," Lex chuckled, and when Clark followed his gaze he saw just how _much_ Lex wasn't freaking out. 

"Oh." It was all definitely too much for Clark to process right now, but he decided thinking was over-rated anyway. Deciding that his best course of action would be to help Lex with his little - big, very _big_ \- problem, Clark reached up to take Lex's head in his hands, leaned forward until his mouth was behind Lex's ear, and _licked_. 

And soon discovered he wasn't the only one who could come just from touching Lex's head. 

**~FINIS**


End file.
